A ban on four private universities by the High Education Council has been lifted after they met demands over administrative and academic standards.

The Kingdom University, Applied Sciences University, Bahrain University College and Birla Institute of Technology International Centre have been allowed by the council to resume accepting new students.

However, the business management programmes at the Kingdom University and the Applied Sciences University will remain banned until they meet the requirements set by the council's Quality Assurance Department.

The decision was taken at a meeting by the council chaired by Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi.

Meanwhile, the Gulf University and Delmon University will not admit new students in their academic programmes until they meet the relevant requirements submitted to them by the council.

The council told Gulf University to appoint new members to its board of trustees and to add more academics.

The council has also maintained the disapproval of the university's PhD programmes.

It said that despite the council's earlier order for the university to stop offering the programmes, it continued to advertise them.

This is in addition to allowing students from these programmes to graduate, when it shouldn't have done, said the council.

Delmon University was told to present a detailed report within two weeks on all its students, their grades and the programmes they are enrolled in.

'If the university ignores the request, the council has the right to follow the relevant procedures to revoke its permit,' it said in a statement.

The council advised the universities to seek a professional accredited consultancy office to handle their managerial issues.

Meanwhile, cases against three universities, who had their academic programmes rejected by the council, were referred to the Public Prosecution.

The council is disputing the credibility of several academic qualifications offered by Al Ahlia University, Kingdom University and New York institute of Technology (NYIT).

The decisions came after the council had issued various directives against 12 private universities over irregularities, in August.-TradeArabia News Service